Name

Class Date

5.1 Evolution
Key Concepts

Biological evolution can occur through mutation, migration, genetic drift, and natural
selection.

Two processes, speciation and extinction, combine to produce the diversity of life on
Earth.

Vocabulary Preview

Define each vocabulary term in your own words. Then, write yourself a quick note on
how you will remember each. One term has been done for you.

Term Definition How I Remember

Evolution Change in inherited genes

with a species over time
Gene A part of DNA and RNA
that is heredity and anything
in that bloodline could
possibly inherit from each
other
Mutation An accidental change in DNA
Evolve is a shorter word for4
evolution and evolve also means
change over time so that’s how I
remember
I think of the word jeans because
they all almost look exactly the
same and genes are something that
u get that someone else has aka the
same
I think of a character’s mutation in
a science fiction movie I saw.

Genetic drift Random genetics that makes
some things luckier to
survive then other
Natural Different survival skills that
selection animals and plants use to
stay alive
Fitness Strongest, smartest and most
likely to stay alive
Random selection like dice is how
I remember
Survival of the fittest
Survival of the fittest meaning
most likely to survive

Adaptation Changing things to be better I jus know I don’t really have ways
used to the environment to remember

Artificial Breeding done by selection Selective breeding

selection not naturally
Speciation Change over team
A new species forming
during evolution
Extinction A species about to Extinct is kind of like parish when
completely go extinct something just disappears

74
 Name Class Date

Evolution and Natural Selection

1. Complete the following paragraphs with terms from the word bank.

characteristics DNA gene pool generation genetic drift

migration offspring population reproduction survival of the fittest

A change in a population’s gene pool over time is called biological evolution.

There are four primary mechanisms of biological evolution. Mutations are accidental changes
in an organism’s DNA .migration occurs when individuals
immigrate into or emigrate out of a(n) population . Biological evolution that
happens by chance is called genetic drift . Natural selection is the process by which
traits that improve an organism’s chances for survival and reproduction are passed
on more frequently to a future____generatioin than those that do not.

Natural selection follows three conditions: organisms produce more offspring

than can survive; individuals of a species vary in their characteristics ; and lastly,
individuals vary in their fitness. Natural selection is also known as survival of the fittest .

2. Explain how a gene pool and biological evolution are related.

Biological evolution is the change in the gene pool over time and th3e gene pool holds all
the genes in a population that are available

3. How could a natural disaster result in genetic drift?

A natural disaster can kill off some of a population causing the genes in the population to be
changing to make the animals survive better at random causing a genetic drift

4. Explain what survival of the fittest means.

Survival of the fittest means the strongest smartest most likely to survive will live the
longest.

5. How does artificial selection provide evidence for evolution by natural selection?
It shows that any population will eventually evolve over time no matter whether its artificial
or natural
75